Daitan Futekina - Fearless
by Aisaka-chan
Summary: Ripped away from her family 2 years before the Titan Siege on Shiganshina, Kukri is put under the care of Erwin Smith, who, reluctantly, teaches her the ways of the Recon Corps. Learning fast, the albino meets her friends from years ago, though they are not the way she left them. Torn between her heart and her duty, what will Kukri choose? ErenxOC LevixOC Eren/OC Levi/OC Rated M
1. Chapter 1 - Fight

A/N: Hey everyone! If you're here, then you're probably, bored, a little nuts, or you just like OC's for some strange reason... Heck, maybe all three! Well, either way, I want to let you guys know before-hand that the romance in this **Will Be Slow Going. **I myself like the slow build-up of a believable relationship before just love at first sight. Sounds cheesy, I know, but with two guys, how on earth is Kukri going to choose without getting to know our two bachelors, hmm? ;)

Haha, anyway, I hope you enjoy!

PS: Cover by drios on Deviantart.

~SnK~

Daitan Futekina - Fearless

Chapter 1

_...Fight..._

_...If you win, you live..._

_...If you lose, you die..._

_...Kukri..._

_...Fight..._

"Never fear, fair lady, for I, Sir Eren of Shiganshina, will save you from the mighty dragon's clutches!"

"That's a log, Eren."

Cheeks puffed out in exasperation at the younger girl's monotone voice. "I know that! But right now, it's a dragon, so look scared!"

"No." Came the voice once again, sounding more defiant than before, if possible.

A frown marred Eren's face at his tiny friend's refusal. "What?! Why not?!"

"I want to be the dragon. Make Mikasa the princess."

"Ew, no, I don't want to kiss my sister!" Eren said, disgust making his lip curl up as Armin watched the scene hesitantly. This was going to end in a fight, like they all did, he could tell.

"Who said anything about kissing?"

"Well, the princess always kisses the brave knight, Mom said so." Eren said 'matter-of-factly', as the white haired girl, who was now sitting on the previously mentioned log, furrowed her eyebrows.

"I don't want to kiss you."

"Why not?"

"Because it's disgusting." She retorted, nose pointing up in the air as she refused to look at the confused boy. "Armin can do it."

"Ew, no!"

"Why not? Don't you want to kiss your princess?"

"I do! But Armin's also a knight, so he can't!" Eren said, grinning at the thought of finally winning the ever-growing battle-of-words.

"So I have to kiss both of you?" She asked, red eyes switching between the two boys, at which Armin flushed a bright crimson.

"U-uh, guys-"

"No! I'm the one who's gonna save you, so I get the kiss!"

"What if I save myself?"

"Wha-?"

And with that, the tiny girl stood, walked over to Eren, taking his 'sword' as she did so, and promptly beat the log up with it. Thumps resonated throughout the clearing, with 3 pairs of eyes looking at the determined girl who was showing no mercy to the lump of wood. Eren's eyes twitched with anger, Armin looked between the two with bated breath, and Mikasa simply sat nearby, watching the scene, eyes calculating as always.

"Y-you can't do that!" Eren said, walking up with Armin's stick that he has taken moments earlier, joining the girl in the beating, who was unresponsive to the second party.

"What on earth are you two doing?"

Eren promptly froze, 'sword' hovering in mid-air as he stared, open-eyed, at his father. Dr. Jeager look befuddled, eyes coming to rest on the battered log that lay behind the two trouble-makers, and then the sticks that they had hidden behind their backs, which peeked out from their slight bodies by a few inches.

"Eren wants me to kiss him."

Eren stood, open mouthed at the tiny, white-haired girl, cyan eyes wide as his father looked on with an amused gaze.

"Oh? And is this true, Eren?" Dr. Jaeger asked teasingly, crouching down to the duo's level as Mikasa and Armin hovered behind.

Eren could only sputter out denials, glaring daggers at Kukri's smug face every once in a while **(Pun intended).** The girl smirked slightly at Eren's red face; even she thought it was adorable when he blushed like that. She gave a subtle wink to Armin and Mikasa, at which the oriental girl's mouth twitched upwards in a rare moment of amusement.

"Well?"

"...Only 'cause she's the princess..." Eren muttered, face flushed as his father smirked shamelessly at the duo.

His father gave a chuckle, before turning around and promptly walking back through the undergrowth. "Come on everyone, Carla's got dinner ready."

Mikasa and Armin followed Dr. Jaeger, one considerably more excited than the other, but Eren and Kukri still stood, sticks grasped in their hands.

"Why did you do that?! That was embarrassing!" Eren hissed when his father was out of earshot, though he was sure Mikasa had good enough ears to hear him. He wasn't scared of being left behind, he and Kukri had been through the forest so many times he could draw a map of it with his eyes closed.

He didn't expect to feel a soft pair of lips on his cheek, however.

"Shut up and start walking." Kukri said with a frowning face, walking, albeit speedily, ahead of his. Eren could have sworn he saw a heavy blush on her face, but he didn't call her out on it, in fear of getting a punch to the face. He scrambled after her, ducking from the branch that he was sure was supposed to be aimed at him, and stuck his tongue at her from behind her back.

A hand pressed to his cheek, where Kukri had kissed him, and wiped it. He had got what he wanted, all he had to do now what make fun of her for it.

~SnK~

"So, Eren, what's this I hear about you wanting Kukri to give you a kiss?" A feminine voice teased from their position at the sink. Eren turned to his father, eyes flashing angrily in the dying light from the window. Once again, his face heated up at the accusation, at which his mother pinched his cheeks.

"Dad!"

"Come now, Eren, you're a growing boy, and your mother should know about these things." Dr. Jaeger responded, glasses glinting as he grinned mischievously at his son.

"That's right, and this is definitely something you should have told me earlier!" Carla said, ecstatic that her son had finally taken an interest in girls. Eren was glad that was not the case, however. If his father had mentioned it while the six of them were eating together, he was almost positive he would have choked on his bread. Thankfully, Armin and Kukri had left about half an hour ago, and Mikasa simply sat reading a book.

"Hmph." Eren scowled, crossing his arms stubbornly at the accusation.

"It's true; he said it right to her face." Mikasa said, voice monotone as ever. She hid her face behind her scarf when Eren turned his heated glare to her, but at this new revelation, Carla's eyes widened, a grin spreading across her face as her son flushed pure red.

"Shut up, Mikasa..." He muttered as his mother gave a squeal of excitement.

"So what happened? Did she?" She squeaked enthusiastically, auburn eyes scanning her son's face for an answer.

"No, from what I can tell, she flat out refused." Dr. Jaeger denied, Mikasa nodding along with him, having already witnessed Kukri's stubborn behaviour towards Eren's demand first-hand.

"Aww." Carla muttered, almost pouting, though Eren stayed silent.

_My secret. Our secret._

~SnK~

"I have something I have to tell you."

Eren and Armin halted their conversation to look at Kukri, and Mikasa's unfaltering stare bore holes into her skull. Something was wrong, they could tell just by the tone of her voice. Like Mikasa, Kukri was usually monotone, but her last words held an almost frightened tone, setting off alarms in the trio's heads.

"What is it, Ri?" Eren asked when their footsteps halted altogether, eyebrows furrowed as he muttered Kukri's nickname. The two were possibly the closest of the group, personalities so similar is was almost funny, so it was no surprize that he looked the most concerned of the three.

"I'm... leaving Shiganshina."

A pregnant pause resonated throughout the street, before Armin opened his mouth to speak.

"W-what?" He stuttered, shocked at the tears that threatened to fall over the white-haired girl's pale cheeks. Kukri never cried, _never._ Something was terribly wrong with her.

"And I might not come back." She continued, eyes falling to her feet, the only sounds being the chirps of nearby birds.

"Are you kidding me!" Eren yelled, cyan eyes glinting dangerously, at which the three around him stared shocked at his angry tone. "You can't leave! Why!?" He demanded, grabbing hold of Kukri's arm, grip tightening till it was almost painful.

Kukri frowned; she knew he would find it hard, they were best friends, after all, but she thought he would take it better than this. "Madam Lutece died yesterday."

Eren's throat choked; Madam Lutece was the woman who took Kukri in after she was found wandering the streets nearly 4 years ago. At only 4 years old, Kukri was, no surprize, scared and confused when Madam Lutece found her. With no parents that she knew of, Madam Lutece took the tiny, albino girl in, longing for companionship after her husband died the year prior, fighting off Titans as a member of the Survey Corps. She had originally lived in Wall Sine, but moved to Shiganshina to get away from the memories of her deceased husband. Kukri was, in a way, a blessing to the lonely woman, who promptly became a mother to the fair-haired girl.

"Suicide." Kukri muttered, having gazed upon the scene that her foster-mother left. The previous night, she had walked in to their house to see Madam Lutece hanging from the ceiling. Needless to say, she was horrified, and ran out only to run into Dr. Jaeger who was finishing his nightly run at a sick man's house.

~SnK~

_"Madam Lutece? Are you in here? I brought those leeks you wanted, they're good ones, too. Mr. Onigiwara said they'd be good for that soup you wanted to make."_

_Tiny feet, covered in black slip-on shoes that she had shoved on before she left this morning, padded through the hallway to end in the kitchen. The house was abnormally quiet, and Kukri's eyebrows furrowed as she put the bag of leeks on the counter alongside the other vegetables that were strewn about. Normally, Madam Lutece would greet Kukri as soon as she entered the door, unless she was asleep in her room upstairs._

_Naturally, that's where the albino girl went next, knocking respectfully on the door. Hearing no answer but still seeing light from the room, Kukri decided she would shut the curtains, to allow for a better rest. It wasn't normally what she'd do, but Kukri knew the woman wasn't getting enough sleep._

_The anniversary of her husband; Claude's death was coming up, and recently Madam Lutece had been crying herself to sleep, only to reassure Kukri the next morning that she was fine._

_The door creaked open as the tiny girl put one foot into the room, the other following shortly after. Kukri's eyes rose to meet the woman who hung from the ceiling, swinging back and forth softly, with her neck tilted at an uncomfortable angle. The rope she hung from was tied in a loop, which rested around her neck as her feet hovered about 8 inches from the wooden floor. _

_A breathless gasp escaped Kukri's lips, and her ruby eyes widened to the size of dinner-plates as she stared. One step back. And another. Then many._

_She ran out the door, feet splashing through the puddles that the rain had left in its wake. Tears streaked down her face, as she sobbed. Why? Why did she do it? Kukri was no fool, she knew what happened to Madam Lutece was of her own accord, her own choice, but it still confused her. Compared to the year before, she was doing so well coping, that Kukri thought it was getting better._

_She didn't even notice when long arms caught her running form, and clutched her to their chest. It was only when the person began to speak, that Kukri opened her eyes, screeching to the heavens._

_"No! Let me go! Let me g-!"_

_"Kukri, calm down! Tell me what happened!" _

_Several people along the street opened the curtains of their windows to see what was going on, and Dr. Jaeger himself took the moment to look over the frightened girl. Holding her at arm's length, he took in her tear-stained , paler-than-usual face and runny nose. She looked like she had seen something horrific._

_"Kukri, please tell me what happened." _

_Choked sobs still escaped the albino girl's mouth, but she looked at the man and he assumed she recognized him, though in her frantic state he couldn't be sure. "It's Madam Lutece! She- she..." Her words trailed off, cheeks red with the biting cold of the night air._

_For the first time in his life, Dr. Jaeger didn't know what to do._

~SnK~

"I'll be leaving tonight to go to Wall Sine. Madam Lutece's cousin has taken custody of me." Kukri continued, face emotionless again as she remembered the previous night, and how the Garrison had taken down her foster-mother's corpse from the rope that Kukri burned holes into.

"You'll visit, then, won't you?" Mikasa asked, face as emotionless as the girl beside her.

"When I can, yes." Kukri responded, thankful for the older girl's distraction.

"You're talking about this like it's already decided!" Eren yelled, once more gaining attention from passer-by's.

"Eren..." Armin started, blue eyes wide as he hoped he could calm the furious boy down.

"No! It's not! We can take you in, mum, dad Mikasa and I, we'll be your family!" He bit out, pleading for his friend to stay. He didn't know what he'd do if she truly left.

"It's too late, and dangerous. It would take a while for you to get custody of me, and in that time, I could be kidnapped and sold off." Mikasa knew what she was talking about. As an albino, it was more than likely that she would be stolen and sold, especially in Shiganshina. Wall Sine truly was the best place for her, and if Madam Lutece's stories of her cousin were true, then he would also be the most qualified to protect her.

"What will I do without you...?" Eren choked out, tears of his own beginning to trickle down his cheeks as the thought of never seeing each other again hit him.

"Everything. You'll make new friends, I know, and you'll always have Armin and Mikasa." She said calmly, refusing to look at her friend's tear-stained face.

"How can you be so calm about this!? You're leaving! Do you hate me?!" Eren asked, hurt that she wasn't as upset as him. Heck he could even see sorrow in _Mikasa's_ eyes.

"Of course not, stupid." She muttered, finally looking at his with large doe-like red eyes.

"Well... I hate you!" Eren yelled, throwing her arm away from his grasp and turning away, running as far as he could. Kukri felt a sharp stab of betrayal stab through her very being, heart breaking at the sight of yet another person voluntarily leaving her.

Armin also looked at his friend of many years, who ran off without a second glance, before switching his gaze to the girl, even smaller than him, who's eyes were once again at the floor.

"Kukri, I'm sure he didn't mean it, he's just upset, is al-"

"Take care of him, will you? His anger will get him killed someday." Kukri muttered, the betrayal of her best-friend making her eyes harden as she looked at Armin and Mikasa, who just stood, one open-mouthed at their friend's words. Her jaw was clenched, and Armin saw whatever child-like innocence she had be locked away, never to be unlocked again.

A pregnant pause followed, before Mikasa nodded, a solemn look on her face, and with that, Kukri walked off, turning a corner to escape from their view.

At that moment, Armin's voice failed him, because he knew that would be the last time he ever saw the young girl with not a care in the world.

~SnK~

A/N: So, what did'ya think? Good? Bad? Horrible? (Probably...) Oh well, feel free to leave it in a review, if you want!

Levi: I wasn't even in this chapter... :/

Me: Well, get used to it, we've still got a long way to go! ^.^

Eren: Why u do dis? :'(

Me: Because I'm evil, that's why. ;)

Kukri: Stop being such a crybaby, Eren, man up.

Eren: :'(

Me: See you guys in the next Chapter! ^.^

_Aisaka-chan, signing off._


	2. Chapter 2 - Night Terrors

A/N: Hey, everyone! I wanted to thank everyone who liked the last chapter; it really means a lot to know you guys are enjoying this as much as I am! It's so much fun writing this, I personally find it very fun writing Kukri, as I've never written a character like her before, so please, feel free to give me some tips if you have them. Thanks again for the reads!

Well, onto chapter 2 then! ^.^

~SnK~

Daitan Futekina – Fearless

Chapter 2

**_"You abandoned us, when we needed you most."_**

**_"They're all dead, you know."_**

**_"Because of you."_**

**_"It's all because of you."_**

**_"Why did you leave us, Kukri?"_**

**_"Do you hate me?"_**

**_"Do you wish I was dead?"_**

**_"You weren't there. I died, Kukri. I'm dead."_**

"Eren! Mikasa! Armin!"

Erwin burst through the door, blue eyes quickly taking in the sight before him. His eleven year-old adopted daughter lay, drenched in sweat, and screaming at the top of her lungs. He didn't doubt that some of the members of his squad were now awoken from their slumber, ready to face the day ahead.

"Don't leave me! Please!"

Even in sleep, tears trickled down Kukri's pale cheeks, knuckles turning white as she gripped the crisp-white bed sheets. Erwin frowned at the sight, but he could do nothing to stop it, he could speak from experience. All he could do was sit and wait.

"I didn't mean it! I'm sorry!" the tiny girl yelled, eyes clenched shut. She sobbed for several long minutes, her friend's voiced resonating in her ears, before her tears began to dry, and her heavy breaths turned into shallow ones.

"I won't do it again! I promise!"

This hadn't been the first time, either; it began the day she found out the walls of Shiganshina were breached by titans. After no word from Armin, who she had continued writing to after all these years, she panicked, convinced the trio of friends were dead. She dreaded to think how, but the nightmares just made her face the sight of it, time and time again. Erwin had tried to make her see reason, but whenever he opened his mouth to talk about it, she would either glare heatedly at him until he stopped, or she would go completely comatose, both ending in her crying herself to sleep as her adoptive mother had done before she committed suicide.

"I'm sorry..." She muttered, fresh tears trickling from her eyes to create a wet patch on the pillow, which quickly evaporated like a titan's blood, and Erwin considered giving her the day off.

_No, bad idea, you know how much she loves training with Levi. _He told himself, knowing that she would give him a stern talking to if he did end up telling her not to train. With a heavy sigh, Erwin moved to retreat from the room, knowing she would just avoid him if she found out he knew of the nightmares.

She didn't think he did, but his, and his group's ears were better than she thought, so they heard every word. Every plead. Every cry for help. Yet they could do nothing, lest she avoid them, which was something none of them wanted. Despite their doubts in the beginning, every member of the group loved her and though of her as family, especially Petra. He saw the two often, whenever they could get a moment away from Levi's intense training (why she likes it so much is beyond him), and he knew that that was some of the rare times she smiled and had fun.

It had taken a while, but eventually Petra broke through the girl's cold exterior, quickly seeing the tiny albino as an adopted sister, which in all honest, Erwin found considerably amusing. Petra could be serious, of course, but she was nothing compared to Kukri, and Erwin wondered how exactly his group member had done it. When Kukri came to him in the first place, all he would get as responses were grunts and occasionally one-word answers, but that was it. She never initiated conversation, and Erwin realized how alike her and Levi truly were, stubborn as mules, but with the strength to back it up.

Her attitude and personality hadn't changed much from when she'd first arrived, cold and monotone, but Erwin knew that was no fault of his. She had confessed to Petra that the conversation – or rather, argument – that had begun when Kukri had confessed she was going to leave was the reason she was so cold to everybody, and Erwin had only been confused more when he found out. He wouldn't say they had a father-daughter relationship just yet, but he knew for a fact she trusted him, so why she didn't tell him earlier confused him.

Oh well, it would do no good to think of it now, Kukri had only an hour before she woke up to train, and the 13th commander of the Scouting Legion knew she woke up on the dot every morning. Rubbing his head with his palm, Erwin groaned as he left, he needed to get to bed earlier if he was going to get up to check on her every morning.

She may not know, but she needed it.

~SnK~

_"When I'm older, I'm going to join the Survey Corps, you know."_

_"Hmm..."_

_"They're so cool, and they can go outside the walls! Can you believe that, Ri?"_

_"Mmmhmm..."_

_"Kukri? Are you even listening to me?"_

_Silence._

_Eren's furrowed brows quickly evaporated, and he grinned mischievously at Kukri's closed eyes and shallow breaths. She was actually asleep. As in, asleep-asleep. Well, well, well. Her head rested on his shoulder lightly, lolled to the side as she fell into slumber. But not for long. Oh no, no, no, Eren wasn't going to let her do that; it was the middle of the day!_

_Taking her head in his hands, he rolled out from under her and laid her softly on the fresh grass. Why he did so, he had no idea, from what he had seen, Kukri was a heavy sleeper. A _very_ heavy sleeper. He supposed he was just being cautious, after all, when she awoke, it _would be_ with the fury of a thousand suns. He grasped the ring of flowers from his head, and put it on the ground; he wasn't going to let his mother see him with _that _on, now would he?_

_Eren snickered as he passed by Mikasa, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow, before walking through the back door and into his house. He quickly found his way into the kitchen, putting his 'master plan' into action._

_"Mother, could I have a glass of water?" Eren asked, as sweetly as possible, at which Carla gave him the same look as Mikasa had moments earlier. Nevertheless, she gave him one, and Eren was back out the door, making his footsteps as light as possible, as to not wake the sleeping albino. Mikasa rolled her eyes at the passing brunette, after taking a glance at the cup of water in his hand, she knew exactly what he was about to do. She also knew Kukri wouldn't like it. No one bit._

_Eren's cyan eyes trailed over Kukri's sleeping form, contemplating for a brief moment how different she looked from the norm. She was no longer frowning like usual, and instead her mouth was set in a monotonous line, with pink lips parted slightly as shallow breaths escaped them. Her eyes fluttered every few seconds behind her eyelids, (she must have been dreaming) and her tiny hands curled up, before unravelling once more, as though grasping for something._

_The flower-crown they had make minutes earlier lay softly on top of her crisp-white head, some of the purple and blue flowers escaping from their entanglement and resting on her snowy locks. Grass was matted down where she lay, but her slight form only covered a miniscule fraction of it. _

_She looked so peaceful, Eren almost changed his mind about dumping the cold water on her. Almost._

_"Kya~!" Kukri exclaimed as the icy water hit her. She felt as though she had been shoved through a waterfall. She pushed herself up from the – now sopping wet – grass, to glare heatedly at the grinning 8 year-old in-front of her. He had a cup in his hands. Instantly, Kukri put the pieces together, a grinning Eren meant he had done something he wasn't supposed to, and she had a fairly good idea of what that was._

_"This. Means. War."_

~SnK~

"Hale! Pay Attention!"

Kukri snapped out of her revere to look at the narrow-eyed man in-front of her.

"I apologize, Levi, I wasn't paying attention."

Levi scowled at her response, blue eyes daring her to call him that again.

"50 laps, Hale, and you'll get 50 more if you go day-dreaming again." He snapped, jaw clenched in agrivation at her monotone personality. Kukri was wise, and didn't argue with the hot-headed man, simply running off to begin. Levi knew that wouldn't take her long, and turned to Erwin who had approached and too looked at the young girl.

"Thank you for doing this, Rivaille." He said, glancing at the short man who stood beside him, watching as Kukri started her 2nd lap.

"Tch." Levi responded, obviously not used to the appreciation.

"She's doing well, I assume?"

"As well as a kid _can_ do." He responded, though not coldly as Erwin expected. Merely amused, at best. Erwin smiled, it seemed Kukri was even able to impress some of the more hardened of the Scouting Legion.

"If she continues at this rate, they'll let her join the trainees early." Levi muttered, as the albino finished yet another 2 laps. He glanced swiftly at his commanding officer, who had his eyebrows furrowed.

"And would you say that is wise?"

Levi's eyebrows raised slightly at the inclusion, though he honestly didn't find it all that surprizing. Out of everyone, he was probably who spent the most time with her to train and such, and as a result, it was only natural that Erwin ask his opinion on the matter.

"Yes." He replied confidently. Lap 7. "She knows how to defend herself, but what would really be the tip of the spear is discipline. She has been with us too long to learn that from us, and the others wouldn't dare; they love her too much."

A 'hmm' and a slight chuckle indicated that Erwin agreed, and another few moment passed as the duo watched the tiny girl pass her 12th lap.

"I'll have her train on her own tomorrow; we have to go outside the walls again."

"Have you told her?"

Erwin's gaze turned to the raven-haired man, who didn't turn around until he was sure Kukri wasn't slacking off. Several seconds passed, as though Erwin found the question uncomfortable to answer, but eventually his mouth opened once more.

"No. I was planning on leaving before she woke up. An hour at the least."

"Hm." 20.

Despite how it may have seemed, Erwin knew that Levi enjoyed their training sessions, as the man had confessed he would have liked to have a group of his own in a previous conversation. Erwin didn't doubt that happening in the least, but for the time being, Kukri was enough for him, and Erwin himself knew that there would be no better for her to train from.

After all, when she grew up, she would be roughly the same height, maybe an inch or two shorter, judging by her – admittedly tiny – height at the moment, same going for the weight. In the few times he had let her train with 3D Manoeuvre Gear, she used the same technique as her trainer, twisting her body to allow for a greater impact with the same – increased, even – speed as before. She needed work with her upper-arm strength, but if need be – like Levi – she could kick hard. Very hard.

All in all, it appeared as though the two were very similar, but there was one thing between them that differed. While Levi made calculated decisions based on the facts they had gathered, striking at the precise moment, Erwin knew that – in a real combat situation – Kukri would slice and dice before she thought, barely giving the enemy time to think before she struck

Levi got frustrated, and had been trying to drill it into her, that against a harder opponent – like himself or Erwin – she would have to learn to watch her enemy's moves more closely, rather than striking first. It was something she didn't learn easily, and despite her usual-monotone personality, she frequently lashed out, simply striking her foe in a blind rage.

Strangely enough, however, against some of the members of Erwin's group, it worked. They foe had barely any time to

The duo hadn't even realized Kukri finished until she came to stand in-front of them, a light sheen of sweat on what skin was visible – not much.

"Anything else, sir?"

~SnK~

"Do you ever miss Shiganshina, Kukri?"

Petra regretted asking as soon as she saw Kukri avert her eyes, letting them land on the plate of food in-front of her. She wasn't solemn, as expected, but indifferent, merely avoiding the question.

"Stop pestering the girl, Petra." Levi said coldly, steely eyes burning, and Petra swallowed, looking at the broken girl who played with her food. She bit her lip; all she wanted to do was help. After all, acting the way she was certainly wasn't healthy, not in the slightest.

Several silent moments passed, with the only sounds being that of chewing and the clank of forks hitting their plates. Everyone was uncomfortable with the silence, and Petra looked sorrowfully back at her dinner. She really shouldn't have asked; Kukri was sad enough anyway.

"Yes." At this, however, everyone looked at her, discreetly or not, so she continued. "I miss my friends the most."

_We know_. Petra felt like saying, but if the glare she was receiving from Levi was any indication, it would be best if she just kept her mouth shut for the time being. With that, everyone resumed eating, Kukri included, but the silence was broke yet again by Petra, who couldn't resist.

"What were they like?"

Petra now kept her gaze solely on Kukri, whose red eyes seemed to harden at the unwelcome question. She resisted looking at the short man across from her, lest she get burned by yet another vicious glare.

Silence.

"They were the best friends anyone could ever ask for."

Silence.

"Armin was smart, smarter than anyone I've ever met, and he was only 10. He got bullied a lot, though it didn't last long." She started, and the group knew why. Kukri may be monotone most of the time, but many of them had witnessed the fury that she possessed, not wanting to come into contact with it again. Many of Erwin's group cringed, rubbing the spot of 'violation' in remembrance, but Levi merely rolled his eyes at them. He was one of those who hadn't been toppled by the tiny girl, retaining his pride for doing so.

"Mikasa was beautiful, I remember wishing I looked like her. She was a lot like me, in a way, but I suppose I was much more integrated than her, taking part in games and stuff. She was smart too, I suppose." Kukri looked up, meeting many pairs of expectant eyes, unsure of what to do next. She didn't expect them to be all that interested, as they were only hearing about this for the first time.

"Eren..." She trailed off, and Petra understood. Apparently, she was the only one who knew about the incident that occurred before she left. "Eren was... difficult... to say the least. As I remember, we got into fights often, with bullies and each-other... But I wouldn't have traded any of them for the world. They were family." She finished uncomfortably, once again resuming her staring contest with her plate of food, playing with it rather than eating.

"I'm so sorry you lost them." Petra said sympathetically, hand lightly pressing on the 11 year-old's shoulder.

There was a pregnant pause, in which Kukri froze, fork hovering in place.

"I am too."

~SnK~

A/N: So, how was it? Better than the last, I hope! ^.^ I want to quickly thank everyone who read, reviewed, and favourited the last chapter, it's crazy to see you guys actually _like_ it (Why, I don't know). Anyway, if you have any recommendations, complaints or anything at all really, feel free to PM me or leave it in a review! ^.^

**Question: I'm thinking about doing a chapter from Eren, Mikasa and Armin's perspective, but I'm not sure whether to do it after the wall of Shiganshina is broken, or before. If you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me in a review or a message.**

_Aisaka-Chan signing out._


	3. Chapter 3 - Letters to a Friend

A/N: And we have reached chapter 3! How utterly peculiar! I've been happy continuing this for you guys, and I've actually been writing chapters ahead of time, just in case there's a day where I can't upload because I'm at school or something, so if everything goes to plan, you guys won't have anything to worry about! ^.^ Sorry if all these flashbacks and letters are annoying you guys, but I'm doing them now rather than before to show how much Kukri thinks about them, even years after she's left, because I think that works better than just 'she thought about it a lot'. If that's bothering you, don't hesitate to tell me, and I'll do what I can to make it less confusing and boring, mkay? ^.^

Well, here we go!

PS: Every chapter updated after this will be after the school break, so I apologize; updates might be slower that usual.

~SnK~

Daitan Futekina – Fearless

Chapter 3

_Please, please forgive me,_

_But I won't be home again._

_Maybe someday you'll look up._

_And barely conscious, you'll say to no-one,_

_'Isn't something missing?'_

_You won't cry for my absence, I know._

_You forgot me long ago._

_Am I that unimportant?_

_Am I so insignificant?_

_Isn't something missing?_

_Isn't someone missing me?_

~SnK~

**Dear Kukri,**

**Sorry this letter is so short, but writing is so hard that I just can't write more than this for the time being. Despite Eren's words, we all miss you dearly. Carla was crying the other day because she saw the flower crowns we all made together when we were really little in the garden under that big tree, and Dr. Jaeger even looked sad when he saw them. It seems like you leaving has cause a hole in everyone's hearts.**

**Anyway, what about you? Is it nice up there in Wall Sine? I think it should be, with it being the inner wall and everything. Is Madam Lutece's cousin nice? What's he like? Put everything you can in the next letter, I'm sure Eren will loosen up when he sees a letter from you.**

**From,**

**Armin.**

~SnK~

**Dear Kukri,**

**Mikasa read the last letter you sent, and I think she liked hearing from you, but Eren didn't give me a chance to show him it, he ran away before I could say a word about it. Sometimes I wonder if he's alright... It's okay though! I'm sure he'll look at the next one if you just tell us a little bit more about the Scouting Legion.**

**So, Commander Erwin, huh? Isn't that strange, having a 'father' who's away all the time? Oh well, it's none of my business, but if you ever need to talk about it, I'm always here, okay? I'm your friend; we're supposed to talk about stuff like this.**

**Listen, I'll have to write to you again later, I'm running out of ink, and I don't want to be out before I practice my writing again.**

**Write to you soon,**

**Armin.**

~SnK~

**Dear Kukri,**

**So you're starting to train with the Scouting Legion, huh? With a guy named Levi? That's really good, maybe in a couple of years we'll all meet up to become trainees! Isn't that great?**

**I'm sorry you couldn't come down to Shiganshina this week, it sounds like the last mission went really bad. Well, we'll have to plan for another time then, won't we? I'm sure Carla and Dr. Jaeger will enjoy seeing you again, they miss you so much!**

**There's this thing, though... I showed Eren your last letter, and he blew up. I'm sure it's not what you want to hear, you're best friends after all, but I think he's still upset about you leaving. Mikasa and I'll calm him down, though, so don't worry; he'll be writing letters of his own to you in no time!**

**Speaking of which, I was wondering if you could send more of those sentences for me to copy from, your handwriting is probably the best to copy from, after all.**

**From,**

**Armin.**

~SnK~

**Dear Kukri,**

**I'm still trying to get the hang of writing, but thanks to your lessons it's starting to look a lot neater than usual, so thanks. It's still difficult, of course, not as easy as reading, to be honest. Eren refuses to learn, saying stuff like 'you don't need to write to go outside the gates and kill titans', but I'm sure you expected that. He asked where I was learning it from and when I told him he got... unresponsive, to say the least. It seems as though he didn't actually know we still write to each-other.**

**He's been getting into fights lately, and I feel like it's my fault. Just the other day, these big guys were bullying me because I was reading one of those books you sent, and he got hurt trying to fight them off. Dr. Jaeger says he's got a broken nose, and that he's lucky Mikasa was there to help. **

**Speaking of Mikasa, she's been asking about you, and the training. She says that Levi guy sounds horrible, and if she were you she'd not listen to him, but I think she's just upset because he kicked you. She's got more protective now, of me and Eren, ever since you left, and it shows. She's had to, of course, but I think Eren's getting bitter about it, he keeps running off to start fights, like he's trying to prove he can do it without her.**

**I was wondering if you could maybe write down some techniques, not to encourage it of course, but to help them. I have a feeling these fights aren't going to stop, and I don't want them getting hurt.**

**Anyway, I've probably worried you enough for one letter, so I suppose I'll say goodbye now and send it. **

**Write to you soon, **

**Armin.**

~SnK~

"What are those?" A feminine, yet inquiring voice asked from behind Kukri, whose crimson eyes scanned the paper effortlessly. She flicked to the next leisurely, but to the trained eye, you could see her bottom lip quivering as she read. She may be emotionless the majority of the time, but if there was one thing Kukri did often, though unwillingly, it was cry, and it took a lot to hold it in when people were around.

"Armin's Letters." Kukri responded to Petra, who leaned forward to read the letters, short hair brushing the top of Kukri's white head. "This is the last one he sent to me, before..."

Petra's eyes were now downcast, knowing that the tiny albino was probably thinking of them. "Are you going to bring them with you?" She asked tentatively, as though afraid of hitting a nerve.

"No." Was the short reply, and Petra leaned back in response, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"I don't know, I could be good for the next few years, you won't have me to make you smile." She said grinning cheezily, at which Kukri rolled her eyes slightly, a twitch of the mouth making the older girl's eyes twinkle with achievement.

"...Maybe..." Kukri muttered, and Petra smiled, considering that a victory.

"He's got nice handwriting." Petra murmured, feeling jealous as her eyes scanned the sheet. Her own handwriting was nice, but nothing like the intricate loops that this boy had. "You can hardly tell he's from the outer wall."

"Hmm."

Several seconds passed, with the only sounds being that of the clock ticking on the far wall. Kukri sat on the low bed she was given on her first day in Wall Sine. Her feet still throbbed from the 3-hour-long running session with Levi, and she shrugged her right shoulder before grunting in pain. She bet if she checked, there would be a large purple bruise, outlined in sickly yellow, marring her pale skin where the short man made her land. Levi worked her till something broke usually, but with her leaving tomorrow, he couldn't give her anything worse.

~SnK~

_"Missed again."_

_By now, Kukri's impatience was boiling below the surface as Levi danced away from yet another kick. _

**_Sit. Still. You. Tiny. Man!_**

_A growl bubbled and forced its way through Kukri's throat, making Levi raise an eyebrow in slight amusement at the 11 year-old's antics. It was surprizing, honestly, seeing her lash out in anger. From the past few years, Levi had learned that Kukri rarely, if ever, showed her emotions, so to growl in such a threatening way was uncommon for the small girl. He had to admit, however, she was good, but she needed to learn how to control her emotions against more tactical opponents._

_Seeing her knees twitch, Levi anticipated the low the kick that the albino aimed, and dodged out of the way once more, making the girl opposite him thrash with another series of punches and kicks, which would surely have been devastating. If they hit, that is._

_"Miss." He said once more, finding it funny to mock the tiny girl, whose face flushed red with anger whenever he opened his mouth. It wasn't often she smiled, so Kukri should have been happy she made him do it, but in her frustration, she didn't think of anything other than: _Take him down.

_"Sit still then!" She yelled, after which she gave a yelp of pain and surprize. With hardly any effort, Levi had grasped her arm, kneeled, and threw her over his shoulder. For a second, she was thankful she was as light as she was, for if she was heavier it would have only hurt more, but that appreciation quickly faded when she saw Levi's smug face above her own._

_"You really think I'd do that?" He asked rhetorically, knowing she wouldn't answer from embarrassment. She scowled, pink lips in a tiny pout as she rubbed her shoulder._

_"Stand." He demanded, smile gone, replaced with a stern frown, and with a groan, she complied, face twitching at the pain that shot through her shoulder. "Follow my actions."_

_She didn't lash out in anger again._

~SnK~

Nevertheless, she smiled bitter-sweetly at the letters, which showed hardly any sign of wear-or-tear from over the years. She hadn't looked at them before now, as they re-surfaced bad memories, which she had now grown used to. She subconsciously noted the dip in the bed when Petra herself, sat down, a trait that Levi had hammered into her; the ability to perceive everything that goes on around you, your business or not.

"Am I doing the right thing, Petra?"

This question alone made the Scouting Legion member in question spin around to face her friend, eyes wide. What on earth was she talking about? She had wanted to become a member of the Recon Corps since day 1, with no other clear goal in mind, so where had this question come from?

"What do you mean?" Petra responded, a befuddled tone to her normally calm voice.

"I've always wanted to become a member of the Recon Corps since Eren told me he did. I was always jealous of his ability to know exactly what he wanted to do. I've never had that. I only started training because he... died. But what if I'm too young? What if I'm not good enough?" She asked, and Petra gaped in return, shocked by this new revelation. For as long as she knew her (which wasn't very long, mind you), she had never known the albino to be so insecure.

"Listen to me, Kukri." Petra demanded, grabbing one of Kukri's hand and placing it in her own, much to the surprize of the 11 year-old. "You are by _no means_ sub-par. You managed to topple quite a few members of this legion with _your legs alone_. _Levi himself_ even said that you have talent!"

At this, Kukri's eyes widened, looking at Petra with the most expression she had shown since being introduced. "He did?" She asked, doubt heavily coating her voice.

"Mmhm." Petra confirmed, eyes soft as she looked at the shocked girl. "He said himself that if you get anything less than the top 3 of the class, it'll only be because you _gave up_, and I, for one, am _not_ letting you do that." She continued, determination making her eyes take on a shine in the dim light.

"I don't have to be in the top 10 to get into the Recon Corps, you know..." Kukri murmured in response, eyes staring down at the floorboards with pink cheeks, at which Petra raised an eyebrow. It seemed as though she wasn't used to getting praise. Or was it something else? Petra grinned at the thought; she was definitely going to have fun with this.

"No, but either way, you'll always fight for it. That's what you do. You fight."

_...Fight..._

_...If you win, you live..._

_...If you lose, you die..._

_...Kukri..._

_...Fight..._

Eren's words resonated through Kukri's head, and with that, she had decided.

She was going to join the 104th Trainee Squad.

She was going to make her friends proud.

She was going to make the Top 10, even if it made every bone in her body snap trying to get there.

Most of all, she was going to fight.

Even if it killed her.

~SnK~

A/N: Sorry this one's so short, guys, but it is a bit more of a filler than anything, just a chapter to show the transaction between training and the real thing. I added a wee bit more of Levi for guys to sate you Levi-fans for the next chapter, which is going to be all Eren, Mikasa and Armin after the siege _and_ before. As you may have guessed, **before will be in italics as always**, so hopefully you guys don't get too confused. ^.^

Well, that's about it!

_Aisaka-Chan, signing out._


	4. Chapter 4 - A New Perspective

A/N: Hola everyone! (I'm in a Spanish mood, give me a break). It's chapter... 4?... Yes, 4!(sorry, I'm kinda slow). It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, for me it has, I write some of these chapters ahead of time, and this one took **FOREVER**. I'm not even joking, I had the biggest writers block for this one, mainly because it's just harder for me to write Eren's character than anyone else's, to be perfectly honest. (I have no idea why...). Anyhow, I'm probably boring you aren't I? Yeah... I do that a lot, sorry! ^.^

Well, onto chapter 4!

PS: the story that Kukri tells Eren at the beginning of the chapter is actually from the RPG, Witch's House. You should play it, it's creepy but at the same time really awesome, I'd definitely recommend it to anyone willing to give it a shot! ^.^

~SnK~

Daitan Futekina – Fearless

Chapter 4

_"Tell me a story, Kukri."_

_"What am I, your mother?" Came a condescending retort, paired with a raised brow. Eren rolled his eyes from his position on the grass, raising his arm to smack his friend on the arm for her attitude._

_"No. After, all I'm older than you, it's not even possible."_

_Silence._

_"Well?"_

_"Well, what?"_

_"Well, are you gonna' tell me a story or not?"_

_"Why should I?" She asked, whacking away the arm that reached towards her. She certainly wasn't just going to let him hit her, oh no, no, no. She could do it to him, but that wasn't the point._

_"Because I'm your bestest friend in the entire world." He responded, cyan eyes wide as possible. They narrowed however, when the younger girl scoffed, blowing a strand of long hair out of her face._

_"As if, Mikasa's my_ _best-friend." She retorted, red eyes rolling at Eren's shocked face._

_"What?!" He asked, with eyes and mouth wide; when on earth did that happen? He knew they were friends and they liked eachother, but he certainly placed himself higher on the friendship scale._

_"It was a joke, stupid; of course you're my best friend." Kukri responded, at which Eren grinned triumphantly, looking like he'd just won a piece of meat in a bet. She smacked him upside the head for that, and he just let his tousled head plop down on her lap._

_With a sigh, Kukri gave up to Eren's pleading eyes, and began. "Once upon a time, in the late afternoon, a rich man was pulling an old cart through the forest, filled to the brim with treasure and gold." Seeing Eren's smiling face, she continued, closing her eyes to picture the scene._

_"Along the way, his cart broke, and as it turned out, a new wheel had to be fitted. Luckily enough for the man, a hunter and his faithful dog walked past at that time, many fair game looped on the hunter's belt, and the rich man asked if he could watch over the cart while he went to fetch a new wheel for it. The hunter agreed, and did as asked for a number of long hours._

_Night, however, soon came, and the hunter grew worried for his elderly mother, who was sick and alone at her house. Not wanting to leave the cart unattended, the hunter ordered the dog to guard it until he came back. He thought to himself, 'I can trust him, he's never failed me before.', and left._

_The faithful dog guarded the cart vigilantly, like his master ordered, until the rich man returned, after which he was given a reward; a single silver coin, to give to his master for their work. Holding the coin carefully in its mouth, the dog ran speedily home to his owner, having run the route several times. Upon seeing the dog, however, the hunter flew into an other-worldly rage._

_'I told you to guard that cart' he yelled, 'and what do you do? You steal from it!' He pulled out his rifle, used to kill many animals, aiming it at the hound, who had hidden its face behind his paws at his master's hurtful words._

_And so, in the end, the hunter killed the faithful dog." She finished abruptly, looking down at Eren's shocked face with her own emotionless one. "What?" She asked indifferently, and several minutes passed with no response from the brunette. _

_Eventually, however, Eren raised his head from her lap, mouth set in a disapproving frown, at which the girl remained unresponsive. "That was horrible." He muttered, looking into her monotone eyes._

_"That was life, Eren. You'd best get used to it."_

_"I don't want to."_

_"Eren..."_

_"What?"_

_"Eren... it's time..."_

_"What do you mean, 'it's time'?"_

_"Time to wake up, Eren..."_

~SnK~

"Come on, Eren, don't make me get the bucket!" An adolescent voice said, slight laughter in the words. The owner of the voice watched his unresponsive friend, whose face was scrunched up. He was dreaming again.

Whether it was about his mother, the attack, or Kukri, Armin couldn't be sure, but he knew that if he wasn't woken soon, it would be hours before he could try again; Eren was, surprisingly, a deep sleeper.

Mikasa, however, would let the boy rest no more, dumping a bucket of freezing cold water on the boy, just as he had done before to their friend. The attacked 12 year-old sputtered frantically, feeling the cold seep through his clothes and onto his skin, making his entire body shiver.

"What the hell, Mikasa!?" He yelled, anger evident in his voice. The older girl shrugged slightly, her face as impassive as ever, as she lay the offending bucket on the floor.

"You need to wake up now, or we'll never get a chance to sign up for the Trainees." She stated with charcoal eyes boring down on Eren's face, who quickly frowned at the words.

"You didn't have to dump water on me! Now I have to change!" He protested, throwing his arms up in the air, making a fuss as usual. He was exited for the Trainees, of course, but now he had to change again before he could go out.

"To be fair, Eren, you did smell a bit rank." Armin said, at which only he laughed at. He had no problems with it, however, Eren had barely done so much as smile since the attack on Shiganshina – though none could blame him; he had been through hell and back -, and Mikasa rarely laughed in general.

Eren merely grunted in response, tearing off his shirt and throwing on another, but not before pushing Mikasa out of the room; he wasn't going to change in front of his sister, thank you very much. His trousers were next, and Armin respectfully turned around, having already changed himself, though not much. He couldn't, after all, the three of them barely had two outfits each since the attack, as it had been hard to find a job to get money for clothes and food. They wouldn't need them as much now, though, joining the Trainees and all.

Armin was startled when Eren grabbed his arm, pulling him through the street, with Mikasa not far behind. It was probably the fastest he had ever changed, and Armin knew why.

After the attack, Eren had vowed to kill every titan he came across, and Armin didn't doubt him for a second. Becoming a member of the Recon Corps was the best way he could do that, so it wasn't surprizing to see that as what he was aspiring to become a member of. Mikasa followed him, naturally, so it seemed as though Carla's words had a bigger impact than they thought. In the end, however, Armin truly joined in the hopes of seeing Kukri again.

He knew she intended to become a member of the Recon Corps, after all, some of their letters sent back and forth were very detailed, and if he joined now, then he would be able to see her the next year. There was the chance she joined earlier, of course, but Armin didn't know enough to know if they would allow her or not.

He hadn't told Eren yet, for several reasons.

1: Eren believed she had changed after moving into the inner wall, and that she wasn't visiting because she thought of them as commoners, and made new friends. That accusation occurred several years ago, of course, but Eren hadn't talked about her since, so there was always the possibility for him to still feel the same. Armin knew that wasn't true, and he thought Eren knew that too, but was simply too angry to realize it.

2: There was always the chance of getting his hopes up, and then having it crumbled. For the past three years, she must have believed them to be dead, as Armin could no longer get the money to send letters, and may have went back on her idea to join. To tell Eren that they would meet her again only to not, could be disastrous, as Armin had witnessed Eren's anger before.

3: Maybe _she_ hated _them_. Armin knew he and Kukri were on good terms when the last letter was sent, but in all of their writings, she hardly spoke or asked about Eren herself, so perhaps she was bitter about his betrayal. It was a long shot, but a possibility, nonetheless.

Armin hadn't heard Carla's last words himself; he wasn't there at the time, but Mikasa told him she had definitely said Kukri's name, for whatever reason, none of the three (to him knowledge) could understand.

Nevertheless, Armin was pulled out of him musings – literally – but Eren, who had just dragged him through an elderly couple. The brunette promptly ignored them, opting instead to continue on his quest to find the sign-up sheet, though Armin had the decency to turn his head back.

"S-so sorry for that, sir, miss." Armin apologized profusely for his friend, who kept his steely gaze on the table in the middle of the square. He was determined, that's for sure. He was pulled through several more people in Eren's quest to reach the sign-up sheet, apologizing for each could that looked at them with a disgusted face.

Some of the tiles beneath their feet were cracked, making Armin trip, and fall, several times, not at all helping his image, but Eren helped, like the friend he was, in assisting the shorter blonde up. Mikasa trailed behind them, like a shadow, not once bumping into anyone or anything, with un-practiced ease. Armin was almost jealous, and he knew for a fact Eren was, but that didn't stop him from admiring the natural skill she possessed.

Eren abruptly stopped, at which Armin bumped into him, turning around with a confused face on his child-like features afterwards. He briefly registered Mikasa coming to stand next to them, signature scarf blowing in the crisp air. "What?"

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Eren asked, finally looking at his friend, though not with an unclenched jaw, and Armin's features softened; he was just checking to make sure he was okay about this.

"Positive. Come on." And now it was Armin up front, who stopped at the table and gave his name, age, and district when prompted. Mikasa soon followed, albeit more calmly than the blonde boy before, and after what felt like an eternity of waiting, Eren came up, looking into the older man's eyes with determination running through his own.

"Eren Jaeger. 12. From Shiganshina." He said without even being asked, at which the man, clad in the signature brown jacket raised an eyebrow.

"Those your buddies over there?"

He received no answer.

~SnK~

**Dear Armin,**

**You're definitely getting the hang of it; your letters are smooth and joined, like they should be. No, I'm not too surprized about Eren, honestly, but for your sake I wouldn't prompt him. If he's getting as unresponsive as you say, I'd just stop; I don't want you to lose a friend because of me.**

**I'm afraid I can't stop him getting into fights, so I guess some techniques will have to do.**

**The most important thing is watching your opponent's moves to counter whatever they have planned. I'm still working on this; Levi's been getting me to spar with some of the other members of the scouting legion, so I can't help much, but I can tell you to first take note of their body structure. For example, both Levi and I are short, and even you can be considered in that category, so that almost automatically means we're quick. The opposite can be said for those guys. I believe you said they're quite big? Well, you can almost guarantee they're slow, and since they're bullies, it also means they'll be easily provoked.**

**If he's sure he wants to fight them, tell Eren to insult them beforehand, but after he's got a good look at them, that means he can anticipate what they'll do, and work around it. Levi's good at this and I'm not, so I can't exactly talk (that bruise is still hurting), but it's always a good tactic to wait first, attack later. **

**Keep in mind, however, if they're in a big group of 3 or more, your best option is to straight out run, to minimize the injuries. They may not be smart, but despite what people say, numbers ****_can _****matter in a fight; just look at titans as an example. If there were more of us, we'd probably not have nearly as many casualties every day as we do now, and two 10 year-olds aren't going to do much against 3 or more teenagers, even if you have Mikasa on your side.**

**Eren may not ****_want_**** to listen, but he's going to have to, if he wants to live to join the Recon Corps.**

**Hope this helped,**

**Kukri.**

~SnK~

"What's that Armin?"

"Just a letter, Eren, nothing to worry about."

~SnK~

A/N: So, what did you think of our little side-chapter with Eren, Mikasa and Armin? Sorry it's not in Eren's POV, but I find it hardest to write from his perspective of the three, so I settled for Armin because I find him the easiest, and I can write that segment with the letter.

By the way, in case any of you were confused, that is the last letter Kukri sent to Armin, and he only has it because he had it with him during the attack, mkay? I know it's really coincidental, but it makes the story work, and frankly, that's all I care about right now.

In the next chapter:

Eren, Mikasa and Armin may run into an old friend, but will it be with open arms, or not? And if so, why? Kukri faces the mean old Kieth Shadis, but will her friends support her?


	5. Chapter 5 - A Heart-Wrenching Reunion

A/N: Guess what I did guys... I ORDERED THE FREAKIN RECON CORPS JACKET ON EBAY! I KNOW! Asdfghjkl! Okay Aisaka, calm down, calm down, you know it'll take a while to get here... EEEEEEE! IGOTITIGOTITIGOTITIGOTIT! IN YOUR FACE LIAN I GOT IT!

Lian: ...

Oh, *nervous chuckle* ha, er, sorry about that ^.^ I guess I need to learn to control myself, huh?

Lian: No kidding. -_-

*Blushies* Oops. Well, I won't burst your eardrums any longer, cause it's time to get to chapter 5! ^.^ Oh yeah!

_PS: To __**JoJoandra: **__Kukri is supposed to be one year younger than Eren, Mikasa and Armin, but when they join the Recon Corps she is the same age. _

~SnK~

Daitan Futekina – Fearless

Chapter 5

_If you live tomorrow, don't think of me._

_Just say goodbye under your breath._

_I left you crying, 'cause you needed me._

_Let's just pretend like we never met._

_Don't run for Cover._

"Well, this is goodbye then."

Petra smiled sorrowfully, tears beginning to glint in her eyes. "Only for a few years, then you'll join us. I'll miss you, you know." She finished, lip quivering; she had truly grown fond of the tiny girl in the short time she was with them, and it would be heart-breaking to see her leave.

Unwillingly, Kukri was pulled into a bone breaking hug, a gasp of pain resonating from her open mouth as Petra pulled her tight.

"I won't." Came a voice from behind them, and Kukri lifted her eyes to see her mentor standing, calm and collected as always. He seemed indifferent, and Kukri was slightly hurt knowing he would probably bask in the chance to finally get away from her.

Petra, however, turned around, finally releasing her sister-like figure from her iron grip, muttering, "Liar." to which Levi's blue eyes bore down on her, making her shift uncomfortably.

"Hey think of it this way; now you have Levi. All. To. Yourself." Kukri said, sporting at malicious slight smile at Petra's terrified face. The older girl had been given the chance to escape Levi's painful sparring sessions when he was pre-occupied with Kukri, but now Erwin wouldn't hesitate to set the pair up together for lost time.

Petra tried not to let Levi see her fearful face, but naturally, he did, being as observant as he was, and a small twitch of the lips occurred. "What? Scared?" He asked, at which Kukri just looked amusedly between the two. For a second, they reminded her of herself and Eren; her being the mocking Levi, and Eren as Petra, both stubborn as mules.

The thought made her remember where she was going, and why, and her mind briefly flickered to her and Petra's conversation from the previous night. What the older girl had said certainly sunk in, but whether or not Kukri paid it heed was all up to her, and despite being packed and ready, she still didn't know of her outright decision. She briefly registered Petra scoffing at Levi's words, before finding an excuse to leave. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and saw Petra's smiling face before her.

"I'll write to you, okay?" She said softly, and Kukri snapped out of her revere to nod wordlessly, at which Petra walked away – albeit hurriedly – from the scene. She remembered Armin's letters, which were placed carefully in her inner coat pocket, binded together with a piece of string, tied horribly (she never claimed to be good at tying knots), and wondered if she'd end up treasuring Petra's in the same way. Probably.

"Your hair will be too long to work with manoeuvre-gear, you know." Levi stated, an impassive look on his face after stealing a glance at her waist-length white hair.

"I know." Kukri muttered solemnly, hesitant to have it cut off. She would freely admit it; she was _very_ vain about her hair, mainly because she never had trouble with it before, even when training with either Petra or Levi's gear (they were the only people whose gear actually fit), and Madam Lutece liked it. When she was still alive, that is.

_"Oh, Kukri you have such lovely hair! Promise me you'll never cut it off, okay?"_

_"But Madam Lutece, what if it gets caught on a tree when I'm playing or-"_

_"Nope! No if's, and's or but's about it! You're not cutting it off; I said so."_

Levi – though he would never admit it – had also grown quite fond of the albino girl's snowy locks, so different from his own inky black tresses. It was so unusual, at such a unique colour and at a very distinguishable length; it was so easy to pick her out from a crowd. He would die before he said it out loud, but Levi would honestly have rather she not cut it; the length in his eyes was perfect as it is. He knew for a fact Petra felt the same, and by the way she was acting, it seemed as though Kukri herself was hesitant to let go of the length.

He didn't know, however, that his opinion meant a fair amount to Kukri; as her mentor for the past 3 years, Kukri was prepared to take anything he said to heart, more so than anyone else from the Scouting Legion. She respected him, as Petra had indeed told her of his marks when he was a Trainee, and for quite some time, she aspired to do the same.

Several awkward seconds filled the air, however, as Kukri and Levi stood, unsure of what to say or do next. Normally they were so in-sync many wondered if they could read minds, but it seemed as though in normal circumstances – not training – neither knew how to act. Kukri twirled her hair around her finger shyly, unusual for the brazen girl, and Levi grunted; he hated silence. It made him feel uncomfortable. But soon enough, it was broken, as Erwin turned the corner, walking towards the duo.

"You're ready to leave then?" He asked, looking at Kukri after placing a rough hand on her tiny shoulder, to which she, once again, nodded wordlessly. Erwin nodded, taking in the uncomfortable silence that seemed to occur whenever the duo were near each-other. He decided to save them of their monotonous attitude, turning Kukri on the spot to face the door, nodding at Levi as he did so.

He didn't notice the overly-narrowed eyes that Levi sported, or Kukri's nervous fidgeting, and simply said, "Then, let's get going, shall we?"

~SnK~

_Okay, Armin, calm down, there's nothing to be worried about. _Armin told himself as his aqua eyes trailed to where Shadis stood, stalking through the rows of trainees. The bald man gave a withering glare to each and every one of them, stopping at some to yell in their faces. Those that were talked – or rather, yelled – to, stood afterwards with nothing but fear in their eyes, and Armin cringed when he saw one brunette start to cry silently after he turned the corner.

_He's not gonna stop at you, you have nothing to worry about._ He continued, sweat beginning to trickle down his forehead as Shadis crept forwards, inching closer to where he himself stood.

"Hey, You! Who the Hell are you?" Shadis yelled, now standing directly in-front of Armin, who quickly adopted the stance that his trainees before him had, right hand to his heart, left behind his back which was stock straight.

"I am Armin Arlert, sir, from Shiganshina!" He yelled back, hoping – praying, even – that he sounded brave.

"That is a retarded name!" Shadis hollered, looking not at all sorry about the insult. "Who named you? Was it your parents?"

"It was my grandfather, sir." Armin returned, holding his position with eyes blank.

"Arlert, what is your purpose for joining us?" Shadis asked with narrowed eyes, as he had done to previous trainees before him.

"To aid in Mankind's Victory!" Was the response, as strong as those previous, and Armin wondered if he had said the right thing.

"Well, that's wonderful." Shadis responded, and Armin almost breathed a sigh of relief. Almost.

His hopes were shattered, however, by his instructor's next words. "I'll have you become food for the titans!" And with that, Armin's head was roughly taken in Shadis' hand, and turned to a 180 degree angle, body following close behind.

"Third Squad! About face!"

As Armin turned, he caught a brief glance of white hair, but dismissed it. He had seen plenty of girls in Shiganshina with white-blonde hair, and this was obviously no different. He couldn't help that nagging feeling, however, that he had done the wrong thing, and so, he turned his head to the side discreetly, as to not get caught by Shadis, for another look, and nearly fainted on the spot.

_No... That's impossible... She's a year younger than us! How did she get in...?_

~SnK~

"I am Armin Arlert, sir, from Shiganshina!"

Kukri could have sworn to the gods above that her heart stopped that very moment. A gasp caught in her throat when she tilted her head upwards to look at the blonde head of hair that was two rows in front of her, but paid no heed to the boy beside her that looked at her with a furrowed brow. She truly didn't care at that moment about anyone's opinion or word on the matter; she was just too shocked to care.

"Armin..." She muttered breathlessly, eyes widening at the realization.

_They aren't dead! They lived! If Armin's here, then Eren and Mikasa have to be too! _She thought, eyes flicking from side-to-side to catch a glimpse of her friends.

It took all her power to resist calling out their names to locate them, but she succeeded, and moments later, met Armin's aquamarine eyes with her own. She saw his eyes widen when he took a second glance at her, and smiled effortlessly in response, relief flowing through her at the sight of him.

Shadis was not happy about this, however, and turned his heated glare to her next, at which Armin saw, his eyes widening once more to the size of saucers.

"You! What the hell are you smiling about?!" He bellowed in her face, and Kukri almost laughed at the image of steam coming out his ears. Petra and Levi had indeed warned her of this man, Petra more fearful than her short counterpart, and even Erwin had thrown in his opinion on the matter. The man was a force to be reckoned with, and Kukri herself didn't fancy getting in trouble on her first day here. She quickly adopted the signature salute, which she had done many times over the years, to Erwin, Levi and even just regular members of the Military Police she saw when wandering the streets of Wall Sina.

"And what the hell is wrong with you anyway!? Going white from fear?" Shadis asked, not giving her a chance to answer his last question. Kukri knew he was referencing her hair and skin, which were crisp white in the sun, and quickly responded.

"I'm an Albino, sir. The lack of pigmentation in my hair, skin, and eyes causes them to be this colour. There was a chance for my eyes to be a darker pink or maroon, but the turned out red, sir. This also means my eyes make jittering movements, almost as though I am nervous. " She answered, at which Shadis reeled back, probably confused at the complex answer. She saw Armin's eyes widen a third time, most likely befuddled for the same reasons. He knew she was educated up in Wall Sina, but how much? As it turned out, Kukri was graciously given the opportunity to learn about her condition, resulting in this knowledge.

"Where are you from, demon?" Shadis asked, at which Kukri cringed. It was because of her eyes, which as she explained, were a sharp red. She hated being called that; she had experienced it before, and it was the reason she was friendless for the past 3 years.

_"Eww, what's wrong with her?!"_

_"Mama said she's a demon 'cause her eyes are that colour!"_

_"Get away, we don't want to be eaten!"_

"Wall Sina, sir." She responded, all emotion drawn from her face, voice as monotone as it had always been. Shadis raised an eyebrow at this, rather than narrowing his eyes as she had expected.

"Oh? And what would some prissy fairy from Wall Sina be doing-"

"From the Scouting Legion headquarters, sir." She finished, and Shadis raised an eyebrow, making Kukri release a sigh of relief; she was sure he would punish her for speaking out of turn.

"Last Name?" He asked, though it was more of a demand, along the lines of 'tell me now or I'll send an uppercut that pale face of yours.'

"Smith, sir." She responded, and she saw many heads turn in shock at this. Smith as in Erwin Smith? One of the 13 Commanders of the scouting legion? Since when did he have a daughter?

Shadis made a sound, as though understanding the answer and putting the pieces together.

"You'll be joining the Recon Corps, then?" He rumbled, no longer yelling, at which Kukri nodded. He seemed satisfied by this, moving on to another unlucky recruit, a brunette, as Kukri's eyes once more met Armin's.

_Sorry, Armin, but I'm not the person you knew years ago. I'm different now. Corrupt._

_Wrong._

~SnK~

"Armin? Armin?" Kukri asked, bumping through the other recruits in her quest to find the small blonde. She sent a smouldering glare to one boy who roughly pushed her out of the way, nearly falling down at the force of it.

_Don't think I won't remember that, asshole. _She swore, cheeks flushing red from aggravation as he calmly walked away, paying no heed to the tiny girl. Her tiny body was pushed back a few paces after bumping into someone new, and the albino wished she had Petra's grace for a situation such as this. Heck, by this point, she would even have Levi just make them move like water by his own glare (for some reason, he seemed much more threatening than herself, maybe because he was older).

She wouldn't give up though, yelling again for her friend who was probably in more of a pickle that herself. She shifted in her new brown jacket, not used to the heavy layers. One of her normal white t-shirts was on underneath it, but the belts were probably the worst; being much more snug than Petra and Levi's, who she had tried on previously.

Nevertheless, she let another "Armin!" fly through the crowd, pushing in the opposite direction of her classmates, who all rushed to get to their rooms. She briefly saw a glimpse of the girl; Sasha, who had offered a piece of potato to the aggravated Shadis, beginning to run laps, and she felt sorry for the girl. She was ordered to run until she dropped, or give up food, and after choosing the former, Kukri could relate. Levi had shown no mercy, and ordered her to do the same the first day they trained together.

_"I want you to run, brat, until either you fall, or I do."_

_"But-!"_

_"Questioning your superior?"_

_"Fine..."_

That was the day Kukri truly knew pain, and it was nothing like this, being shoved around by idiotic recruits. She almost felt sorry, seeing as some people, mostly girls, had apologized after bumping into her, but the 'brats' who didn't faced her furious stare.

"You mind?"

"Sorry... Bitch..."

Her impatience was once again showing its roots at these responses, and for a second, Kukri wondered if this was how Shadis felt on a daily basis. Having to deal with inconsiderate kids day-in, day-out.

_I almost feel sorry for the guy._ She thought, eyes narrowed at the brute force of a black-haired girl who had shoved her out the way. A blonde, about Kukri's height, hurried behind her, apologizing profusely for the girl's behaviour.

"I'm so sorry about that! She must not have seen you there." She explained, and as she got closer, Kukri could see even she was taller than her.

"It's fine." She said, looking into the girl's sorrowful eyes, which showed doubt at her words. "Really, it is." She finished, finding it impossible to hate the small blond, even if she was still sour about the height difference – though minuscule.

_Wonder what those two are doing together; they're complete opposites._

She was ripped out of her musings by an elbow to her spine, and after letting out a cry of half-pain, half-exasperation, she spun around, ready to give yet another glare of daggers to the offending idiot.

"Alright listen, buddy: I am –this- close to-!" But her words caught in her throat, as before her stood, Eren Jaeger, with the most furious expression she had ever seen on his – or anyone, for that matter's - face.

_You've got to be kidding me._

~SnK~

A/N: Ohohoho~ The plot thickens~ ^.^ How will Eren react to his long-lost friend, hmm? Anger? Surprize? Joy?

Lian: probably not...

Shut up, Li, and do your maths homework!

Lian: Nah, procrastinating sounds more fun, doesn't it?

I suppose...

Lain: You agreed, I'm off the hook! ^.^

...Goddamnit.

Well, I suppose I'll see you guys in the next chapter, right after I grab hold of that slippery brat...

Lian: Excuse me?

Nothing~ ^.^ Go back to... whatever it is you were doing...

_Aisaka-Chan, signing out._


	6. Chapter 6 - Far From Over

A/N: Oh my god, I can't believe I wrote chapter 5 and 6 IN THE SAME DAY! That's like, impossible for me. I suppose those tictacs did keep me goin, though... MY GAWD THOSE THINGS ARE DELICIOUS! THEY'RE LIKE METH FOR INSANE PEOPLE! And if you're not insane, and you eat tictacs, you're lying. You're either insane and you eat them, or you're not and you don't, they're the only two options.

Lian: You need help.

SO DO YOU!

Lian: She needs help.

NO I DON'T!

Lian: Just ignore her, she'll get over it.

NEVERFORGIVENEVERFORGIVE *rocks back and forth*

Lian: Should I start this one...?

THEY'RE ALL JUST JEALOUS OF YOU MY PRECIOUS DON'T BE SAD

Lian: Alright then. Chapter 6. Go. Now.

~SnK~

Daitan Futekina – Fearless

Chapter 6

_Far from Over,_

_I won't say goodnight._

_My heart's gone colder,_

_Waiting for my time to rise again._

_Your time is over,_

_So give a kiss goodbye._

_Far from Over,_

_I won't feel anymore._

"People from my village say the Colossal Titan straddled the wall! Is it true?!"

"Yeah I heard that too!"

"My uncle said he jumped over it!"

"It really wasn't _that_ big." Eren reassured the crowd, who had gathered around as he ate.

"Really?" Came a disbelieving voice from the side-lines; a girl, looking just as intrigued as everyone else surrounding the brunette.

"It had no skin, and a big mouth." Was the reply, by the boy who looked to be bored with all the questions.

"Well, what about the titan that got through Wall Maria?"

"Yeah, the armoured one!"

"Did it break right through?"

"No way, that's impossible!"

"Was it as strong as people say?!"

"Even though people call it the 'Armoured Titan', It looked like any regular one to me, to be honest." Eren responded calmly, taking another bite of his food – if you could even call it that.

"And the regular titans?" One boy asked, to which others followed, not seeing Eren's face, which had now grown pale.

"Yeah what were they like?"

"Horrible, I bet, eating people left and right." One said, unknowing of what they had done.

A clang.

Kukri looked from her spot at the next table over to see Eren through the crowd of trainees. His face was as pale as hers was normally, and the hand that had dropped his spoon trembled. Instantly her eyes narrowed at the questioning, yelling out.

"Leave him alone; can't you see he doesn't want to talk about it?" She said sternly and with narrowed eyes. Connie Springer, who had also faced Shadis' wrath for a rookie mistake (he had gotten their salute wrong), turned to her with eyes wide at her defensiveness, before once more turning back to Eren with a genuine apologetic look in his eyes.

"Sorry, Eren, we didn't mean to-"

"Actually, the titans are really no big deal." Eren responded dismissively, taking a bite of his bread that lay beside his plate. His eyes met Kukri's challengingly for a split second, narrowed, and without a word, she looked back down at her plate, mouth set in a grim line at his behaviour. In her opinion, he was acting like a child that had lost one too many toys. Hearing no interference, however, Eren continued, "Once we learn how to operate the Three-Dimensional Manoeuvre Gear, they'll be no match for us." He finished triumphantly, without noticing the pitying look Kukri received from Armin.

The boy in the table across from her had no interest in eating or questioning, instead opting to look at Eren with boredom dancing in his eyes. "We'll finally have the chance to become soldiers, I just swallowed wrong earlier." He heard Eren deny. "I'll join the Recon Corps and purge the world of the titans." A roll of the eyes. "I'll kill them all-"

Finally, it seemed, the boy had enough, calling Eren out. "Dude, are you nuts?" He asked rhetorically. "Did you just say you were going to join the Recon Corps?" He continued, at which Kukri narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She was mad at Eren, sure, but this boy just rubbed her the wrong way.

"That's right." Eren retorted, but not quite finished. "And you're the one who said you want to join the Military Police and live an easy life."

Strangely enough, the boy was undeterred by this, simply leaning his elbow on the table and placing his chin in his palm. By this point, any normal person would have thought that Kukri had become un-interested in the conversation, but in reality she had simply averted to eyes to listen in a more subtle, un-noticed way. She preferred it this way, being more like a shadow than an actual person, because after all, you can't hurt your shadow, now can you? The albino girl, however, knew that this verbal war that was raging would soon turn into a physical one, as it seemed Eren, even now, still picked fights wherever he could.

"I'm an honest man." The fight continued. "It's better than acting all tough when inside you're scared shitless."

At this, Eren stood from his chair, and the fight that Kukri predicted was close to coming true. "Are you talking about me?" Eren asked, a dark look in the cyan eyes Kukri used to love.

"Oh? Sorry If I offended you." Was the response, though it sounded like anything but, as the boy stood from his chair too, presumably to keep his honour in check.

The boys walked towards each-other, the taller of the two staring the other down. While one looked amused, the other was furious, and if the bell hadn't chimed when it did, Kukri was almost certain she knew what the outcome of the fight would be. Nevertheless, that bell did chime, at which the two boys looked up in confusion, resulting in the taller of the two looking strangely apologetic.

"Sorry, my bad." He apologized. "I wasn't trying to judge how you think." At this, he held out a hand for Eren to shake, but the brunette just looked at it with a face of what appeared to be agitation. "Let's just put this behind us." He offered, hand still outstretched.

_Don't be an idiot, Eren, take it._ Kukri thought, now staring intently at the duo. As if hearing this, Eren's eyes met Kukri's for a second time, before reaching up, as if the other boy's outstretched hand in his own.

"Yeah, me too. I'm sorry." He said coldly, before slapping the offending hand away, and stalking out, presumably for a breath of fresh air.

_Eren, you idiot._ Kukri said, seeing Mikasa walk out after him, presumably to help calm him down. It seemed as though the two had gotten close after the attack on Shiganshina's walls, Kukri noted.

Standing up, she now had nothing stopping her from sitting with Armin, but before she could finally reach the table he was seated at, she felt a hand grasp her fore-arm.

Her instincts told her to floor this intruder of her personal space, but a quick glance confirmed her suspicions, it was indeed the boy from before, who Eren had picked a fight with.

"H-hey," He stuttered, and to Kukri's surprize she saw his cheeks begin to flare a colour similar to her eyes. "U-um, sorry." And her arm was released, but she stayed. He obviously had something he wanted to say, and Kukri wasn't so rude to just walk away from someone speaking. Not anymore, at least, though there was a time when she would have walked away from Eren without a second glance, best-friends or no.

"Y-your hair, I-it's really pretty." The boy continued, at which, for whatever, reason, made Kukri's cheeks warm up, giving them a pink glow, unusual for her usual stoic personality. "I've never seen anything like it before. It's perfect."

"Thank you." Kukri responded, nodding her head at him before turning to face Armin, who seemed to have been waiting patiently for her. She thought while she did so; no-one had ever called her hair pretty before, apart from Madam Lutece, despite how unique it was. It was... nice, being complimented, she thought, twirling a piece of her hair from her pony-tail between her pale fingers. She knew Levi had told her to cut it, but... maybe she didn't want to...

"What was that?" Armin asked with a raised brow after she sat down, stealing a glance at the boy how hadn't stopped staring since she sat beside him. "Are you... blushing?"

"I am not!" She hissed, though not loudly enough to alert their comrades. Her face turned in the opposite direction, and Armin furrowed his brows.

_How much has she changed...?_

Nevertheless, he looked into her eyes, seeing not only embarrassment, but pain too. His heart broke; it killed him to see his friend like that, so broken and lonely, even when in a room of 20+ people.

"I thought you guys were dead, you know."

At this, Armin's cerulean eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. She really thought that? Then, Eren's words must have hurt more than he had initially thought...

"Eren didn't mean it, you kn-"

"I'm glad you guys are here, regardless." She said, looking at him before he could finish, and Armin could feel nothing but pity. Pity for her loss of innocence, pity for Eren's loss of a friend, pity for himself, for pete's sake! He may never see those eyes sparkle again, or have both his friends get along, and that was probably what he wanted most.

Most of all, however, he felt sorry for anyone who got between the two of them; Eren and Kukri, because once all that pent-up rage was unleashed, everyone caught in the cross-fire would suffer.

~SnK~

_Kukri turned to face the one person who probably didn't want to see her, looking into his narrowed eyes. Neither of them registered Armin running towards them, as Kukri could only stare into the cyan orbs that were once child-like and forgiving, but now looked at her with a cold glare, not burning her like she expected, but freezing her solid, unable to escape._

_"Eren, you'll never believe who I-" But Armin's words fell short when he saw the two together at last. At first he was ecstatic; they could all be together again, a family like before. The grin on his face was washed away, however, when he saw Eren, with the one expression he had hoped not to see. Pure and utter hatred. _

_One look at his albino friend told Armin all he needed; she was terrified. She looked like a deer facing down a hunter, doe-eyes wide when faced with the malice of his. Armin barely noticed her bottom lip quivering, but he did indeed see her chest rise and fall as she breathed heavily. She looked ready to cry, but Armin was positive he wouldn't see it. If she _did, _it wouldn't be now, it would be later when she was away from the people around her, looking at the stand-off with a confused expression as they passed. _

_"Come on, Armin, we have to find Mikasa." Eren's voice was cold and judgemental, so unlike what Kukri was used to, and she was instantly brought back to the day she left, the only time she had ever seen such hatred in his eyes._

_In an effort to make amends, Kukri grabbed Eren's arm as he turned. "Eren, please listen-"_

_"Get. Off." He said through clenched teeth, and the malice in his voice made Kukri reel back, eyes widened as she gaped. Eren stalked off, and Armin had no choice but to follow, leaving behind a dazed Kukri, who wondered what on earth made her friend the way he was._

What happened to you, Eren?

~SnK~

**Dear Petra,**

**I can't say much more, it's lights out, but they're alive. They survived the attack on Shiganshina. **

**I'll tell you more next time, but for now, I'm just going to bed.**

**From,**

**Kukri.**

Kukri finished up her letter, not in the mood to write more than she had, but felt guilty. As her friend, Petra deserved more than that. So, swallowing, the albino continued.

**Sorry, but I'm not I'm the mood to say more about that right now, but I suppose I'll continue.**

**I was singled out by Shadis today, like you said I probably would be. He asked where I was from and now people won't stop whispering about me. It's certainly annoying, I'll tell you that, and I've had to give more than a few of Levi's signature death-stares, that's for sure.**

**Someone complimented my hair today, and now I'm not sure what to do. Levi said I should cut it, and I know if I don't tie it up tightly it'll probably get caught in the gear. I respect his opinion, you know that, but I'm hesitant. I don't like the idea of cutting off whatever ties I had to Madam Lutece, even if it will grow back. What do you think? I'd like your opinion on the matter, so respond as soon as you can, preferably before I get into trouble for it.**

**From (for real this time),**

**Kukri.**

Kukri grimaced at the formal wording, subconsciously noting the girls from before walk in with the aptly named 'potato girl', the taller of the two dumping her roughly on the bed below her. Nevertheless, she folded the sheet of paper, before putting it in a nearby envelope and shutting it. Now, she turned her attention to the room.

There were four beds in this particular room, two bunks, and Kukri thought that would be the same for each, and judging by the names on the door, they were assigned. The duo that walked in earlier didn't look surprized to see her there (either that or they hadn't yet noticed her, but that was unlikely), so Kukri supposed she walked into the right room, after all, though not consciously.

"Oh! Hello again!" The Blonde said after sitting on the bottom bunk across from her own, chipper and smiling. "I don't believe we've introduced ourselves! I'm Krista, and this is Ymir." The small girl said happily, looking down at the raven-haired girl above her, who Kukri found to be Ymir, as Krista had said.

"Kukri." She responded shortly, not in the mood for a long conversation.

Krista seemed to take the hint, instead opting to talk quietly to Ymir, who surprisingly seemed genuinely interested in the girl's words. Kukri smiled; the girl was smarter than some might think.

Soon enough, it was lights out, as Kukri had put in her letter, and Krista and Ymir seemed to have no trouble falling asleep.

Kukri soon grew bored, however, unable to rest, and turned her attention to the girl below her. Sasha, she believed her name was. Looking upside down at the brunette, Kukri raised a brow. It appeared, even in sleep, 'potato girl' still tried to eat, holding her hand loosely and raising it to her mouth, as if to take a bite. Kukri shook her head in amusement, before dropping her head on the pillow.

She didn't want to fall asleep. Falling asleep meant there would be the screams.

Nevertheless, despite her better judgement, she closed her eyes, and willed herself to rest.

_But scream number one still began the chain._

~SnK~

A/N: Whew, that was a good packet of tictacs! Did you know, the passion and cherry ones are the best, so much better than those disgusting lime and-

Lian: *Puts hand over mouth* Please shut up now.

Welw ey kann wen woo poo wouer hand dere wike-

Lian: Please?

...

Lian: Much bet- agh!

*Licks hand* I'm free!

Lian: Why you little-!

**I'm sorry, but Aisaka can't respond right now, she is currently being beaten to a pulp. Please come back later.**


	7. Chapter 7 - Baby Steps

A/N: I'm too bored to do an Author's Note, I'll do it later.

Lian: Not like they're missing much, anyway; all they hear is your insane ramblings.

...

Lian: What?

Excuse me?

Lian: Why are you looking at me like that?

...

Lian: Uhh, Minako?

I don't like it when you speak badly about me, Lian. It's... upsetting.

Lian: What?

What is it? Scared? I never pegged you as the type, Lian.

Lian: *Gulp* You're starting to scare me, Mina.

Good, then it's working.

Lian: Oh shit.

~SnK~

Daitan Futekina – Fearless

Chapter 7

_You've got me shaking from the way you're talking._

_My heart is breaking but there's no use crying._

_What a cyanide surprize you have left for my eyes._

_If I had common sense I'd cut myself or curl up and die._

_Sticks and stones may break my bones, but anything you say will only fuel my lungs._

_Don't mind us; we're just spilling our guts._

_If this is love, I don't wanna be loved._

_You pollute the world with a filthy tongue._

_Watch me choke it down so I can throw it up._

_Don't mind us; we're just spilling our guts._

_If this is love, I don't wanna be hanging by the neck._

_Before I'm from an inch of death._

_Before reality hits._

A thump and a sharp cry of pain emit throughout the clearing, at which Kukri bit her lip and cringed. It seemed as though Eren had fallen again.

She heard his muttered swear (briefly wondering when he had started to pick _that_ up), and rolled her bottom lip between her teeth, a habit she had failed to break up to and over the past few years. The brunette had been constantly failing to stay up-right, and Kukri briefly wondered why Shadis hadn't yet gone off his head at the boy. It was bound to happen soon enough.

"What the hell are you doing, Jaeger?!" There it was.

"So much for, 'I'll kill all the titans', huh?" The albino heard someone mutter from behind her, and her teeth clenched, a locked jaw completing the look. She resisted turning around and promptly smacking the grin she knew was on the offender's face off, preferably with a round-house kick to the kisser. But that would be defending him, as she had always done, and she couldn't do it.

"Levi would approve of it, though..." She muttered, eyes burning with a fiery intensity at her comrades' words. It was true, though; she knew her mentor wouldn't stand for such behaviour, and a kick would be the perfect solution.

She knew she couldn't defend him, however, as for starters, Armin had told her that morning to lay off with that kind of behaviour, knowing she would get right back into the routine of defending his honour, and also knowing that he wouldn't like it. He had told her of how Mikasa had taken her place in babying him, and if his reaction to Mikasa's mother-hen-act was bad, Kukri didn't want to witness him seeing her do the same, judging by yesterday's events.

She was angry at him for his behaviour the previous night, of course, but nevertheless, she couldn't deny caring about his well-being. They _were_ best friends, once upon a time, though, so how could she not? Her heart was screaming at her, demanding that she help him, give him a few tips at the least, but her brain willed her body to stay put, still in her position in a row with the other trainees, who were constantly snickering at the brunette's failed attempts.

"Please, sir, I can get it right if I just-"

"Get back in line, brat, you've wasted enough time." It seemed Shadis had reached his limit, and was finally making Eren go back. He turned, looking approvingly at Mikasa who swung on her strings with little-to-no effort.

Kukri smiled at this; it seemed Mikasa was a natural with the 3DMG. She reminded the albino of Levi, who she remembered watching in awe the first time she had seen him swinging through the trees like a professional. It seemed, however, Eren thought the opposite, as the tiny girl saw his fists clench and eyes glint with envy.

She surprisingly hadn't even noticed it when Shadis turned to her, too engrossed in watching her friends. "Well then, let's see if the good old commander taught you anything, hmm?" The bald man said, a clear indication that he wanted her to go next, and she nodded in response. She had no qualms with it, certain that she at-least wouldn't fall on her head like Eren had done, and moved to stand next to the poles, being hooked up within seconds.

She was raised, and Kukri felt the familiar sensation of flight, though at a much lower level than she was used to. She was soon at the optimal height, and she saw Shadis' eyes look at her approvingly, and her classmates looking at her with something akin to awe in their eyes. It made her uncomfortable, having everybody's eyes on her, and she knew she preferred it when their eyes were on Mikasa rather than herself. Her eyes caught Eren's unwillingly, and rather than seeing the glare she had begun to grown used to, she was met with a gaping mouth and widened eyes.

She hadn't moved. Not even a twitch.

~SnK~

_That's impossible! How on earth...? _Eren thought, eyes wide as he looked at his newest target of resentment, his childhood friend. While he had flipped upside down every time he was on the damned wires, she hadn't moved at all since being raised, and judging by her monotone expression, she wasn't even trying.

He wanted to hate her for it, but he couldn't bring himself to. But why? She had done the same as everyone else – albeit on a much more impressive scale – so why did he want to run up and congratulate her? He didn't for Mikasa, his own sister, and not even for Armin, who had been nothing but a friend to him, so why her?

He dismissed it, thinking it was because of the separation they had been forced into for the past few years, and turned his gaze to his classmates. After a while, his eyes trailed to meet the figure of the boy from last night, who was looking at his old friend with fond and awe-filled eyes. Eren's stomach churned with the need to punch him, for whatever reason, though instead opted to glare at him.

_Why is he looking at her like that? Does he like her or something? _Eren thought with furrowed brows.

The idea was crazy to him; the thought of someone liking Kukri in _that way._ He saw the albino girl in question be lowered, receiving an approving nod from Shadis after she did so. He also saw the blush that stained her cheeks when she looked at the now-grinning boy.

_No way. _He thought, eyes widening as they exchanged short words. It was shocking, seeing the ever-serious Kukri blush in such a way, and Eren raked his mind to think of a time when they could have met. His thoughts were shattered, however, when the damned boy placed a hand on her shoulder, not even having to lift his hand much due to her small stature.

_Fuck no. If he thinks he's just going to steal __**my friend away from me- **_

Wait a minute, what did he just say?

_Friend... My friend... Mine..._

No. That wasn't it. That wasn't what she was.

Realizing his mistake, Eren turned his gaze away from the two, eyes stern as ever. She _wasn't _his friend.

_She lost that privilege when she left me._ The brunette thought angrily, willing himself to not look at the white-haired girl. He faced an internal battle; one part of him wanted to never look at her again, to hate her like he had the past few years, but another, almost stronger part of him wanted to run up to the two and stand between them, refusing to share what he had previously claimed as _his_.

That part of him lost, however, and the class went for dinner, Eren refusing to look at the albino the entire time.

~SnK~

Kukri sat at a table, eating her dinner as she had the previous night, having already said goodbye to Armin and Mikasa who had left with Eren to practice. There was one difference, however.

She was surrounded by her classmates.

She wondered if this was how Eren felt the previous night, claustrophobic by the minimal space and overwhelmed by questions. Probably not, if his expression was anything. The tables were turned now, though, and unlike Eren, Kukri didn't have anyone to tell the excited students to lay off. She was glad, however, that the brunette had left; she certainly didn't want to deal with a jealous Eren right now, but that provided minimal pleasure, if any.

"How did you do it?"

"Can you teach me?"

"Why would she wanna teach you, Springer?"

"Hey!"

Kukri bit her lip, subconsciously licking the areas where she had torn skin off. Her lips nearly went numb with all the biting, and the stinging sensation that occurred when she moistened her lips as she had done previously. "It's not too hard; just use your hips instead of your arms for balance." She said, eyes lowering to her dish. If it was any other time, she would be her usual monotone persona, but she wasn't used to this much praise, she _was_ training under _Levi_, for starters.

"Did Commander Erwin teach you?" One voice asked, though hesitant. Kukri recognised it as Krista's quiet tone, and was thankful that the girl wasn't shouting like her classmates. The girl really _was_ an angel.

"Sure he did, Krista! Where else would she have learned it?" Sasha said cheerfully, having grown fond of the tiny girl who fed her after her run. Kukri however, shook her head at this.

"No, actually, he didn't."

This caused a whole new rabble, and Kukri immediately regretted opening her mouth. She shifted to the side when someone sat down next to her, albeit at a rather close proximity, only to bump into another.

"What?! You mean you learned this all by yourself?"

"N-no, I was taught by one of the members of the Scouting Legion."

She didn't even notice the door open, three pairs of eyes looking confusedly at the large group. Kukri released her fork, instead opting to rest her hands on her lap. It didn't work, however, and she ended up clenching her trousers in her white-knuckled fists as more questions spouted from her comrade's mouths. The albino felt her chest rise and fall as she looked around her at all the confused faces. The enclosed space was making her feel sick, and she briefly considered just telling them all to go away.

She couldn't ever say she expected this, and she almost wished that she was back home, training with Levi and telling Petra stories about the mis-matched adventures she had with her old friends. Almost.

Something caught her eye, however, when she got s brief glance through the barrage of people. "Armin? What happened?" She asked with widened eyes after seeing Eren's form slumped against Mikasa. His eyes were still open, but he looked drowsy, and Kukri could have sworn she saw a glint of blood in his hair.

Paying no attention to her classmates, she barged through them, barely thinking before she put a hand to Eren's head and feeling the familiar thick texture of blood. "We were practicing but he tipped over before he was raised high enough. He hit his head pretty bad." Armin said gravely with furrowed brows. It was evident he was worried for his friend, but in reality his confusion stemmed from Eren's reaction. Or lack of one, he supposed.

For whatever reason, Eren hadn't spoken out against Kukri's worried touches to his head. Armin knew for a fact he was conscious enough to know she was doing it, so why hadn't he complained? The last he saw of the two of them, Eren looked like he would like nothing more than to get away from the albino, so his lack of aggravation was confusing.

"Take him to your room and put on the bed, but keep his head elevated. I'll be back in a second." Kukri said, hesitantly taking her hand away from Eren's head, wiping the blood that coated her fingers on her trousers. She walked off, and Armin and Mikasa did as they were told, passing by the boy from the previous night; Jean, who had a frown marring his face.

Armin furrowed his brows, but said nothing. Surely he wasn't worried about Eren, so what was making him look so sour? His musings were swerved when the trio entered Armin and Eren's room, as the injured boy mumbled something with cyan eyes fluttering. He was struggling to stay awake, so Armin and Mikasa quickly put him on the bed as asked, using pillows to keep his brunette head tilted upwards.

Kukri entered the room, obviously having asked the people behind her for directions. Reiner and Bertholdt stood, the taller of the two kindly carrying a bucket of hot water for the tiny girl who clutched bandages and a cloth in her hands.

"Thank you, Bertholdt." She said when he put it on a nearby table, sitting down on his bed with Reiner. The four shared a room, and having introduced themselves last night, the duo obviously wanted to see the injured boy.

"No problem." He responded, at which she looked at him with fond eyes and a smile; she certainly appreciated the help. Nevertheless, she walked forward to close the door, not wanting to deal with nosy students and hoping they would go back to their dinners.

Armin took a glance at Eren, who all of a sudden had his eyes narrowed and glaring at, who Armin assumed to be Kukri. His eyes never followed her, however, not even when she went to stand next to them. Mikasa raised a brow at this, wondering why on earth he was glaring at the door with an intense fury.

"This is gonna sting, alright?" Kukri said, having dipped the cloth into the warm water, ready to wipe the crisping blood from her childhood friend's head. Mikasa instantly had sorrow swim in her eyes; it almost reminded her of a time when Carla did the same, cleaning her son up after a rough fight. She almost expected Kukri to reprimand him, but she knew the albino would just work on him with the same monotonous face she herself sported on a daily basis.

"Just do it." Eren grumbled, still capable of speech. Kukri sighed at this, seemingly bored with his cold personality towards her. Still, she held the cloth to his forehead first, moving closer to the crack as the left-over blood was wiped away.

Eventually, the edge of the cloth reached the open-wound, and Eren hissed, hand reaching up to tear Kukri's arm away from it. "I told you." She grumbled in response, mouth set in a firm line as her red eyes looked into Eren's cyan orbs. Soon enough, he let go, and she took his hand in her own, the one not currently occupied.

Armin saw Eren's face flush at this, and wondered why Kukri hadn't done the same. From what he saw the previous night with Jean, it wasn't like she was incapable of it.

"I hate you." Eren hissed, eyes clenched tight, and in response Kukri raised a brow, pressing on the wound harder. Armin heard Eren hiss out a swear, at which Kukri smirked, and the blonde boy was brought back to the days when the two of them would tease each other relentlessly. Those were the good days, when Kukri wasn't emotionless for once.

Soon enough, the albino finished, now reaching for the bandages. "Sorry I can't do more, but Levi doesn't trust me with stitching." She said, and Armin chuckled. To be honest, he didn't either.

"Just leave." Eren mumbled, and Armin's eyes softened as he saw Kukri's reaction.

She looked truly heart-broken, eyes nearly brimming with tears, face stricken. It was soon washed away, however, and she continued wrapping the gauze around the brunette's head with the same monotonous mask she usually had in place.

Soon enough, she was finished, and Bertholdt went to stand to help with the bucket again. Kukri shook her head, however, picking it up herself. "No need, I'll be fine." She said, with a smile, before slipping out of the room with her signature monotonous face.

I'll be fine, she said.

_Liar._

~SnK~

A/N: Well then, that chapter was chock-full of stuff, wasn't it! Got a little bit of Kukri, little bit of Eren, and a whole chapter full of tension! ;) Hope you enjoyed! If you did, tell me why, and if not, then also tell me why! You can never have too much constructive criticism! ^.^

_Aisaka-Chan, signing off._


	8. Chapter 8 - Help From A Friend

A/N: Yay! Chapter 8 is officially written! Did you know, this chapter was actually written when chapter 3 was about to be uploaded?

Lian: Nobody cares, Mina.

...

Lian: I don't care if you go on a rampage, Mina, I'm telling you, nobody cares.

*sniffle* W-what? *sniffle*

Lian: Oh God. You might want to run while you still can.

W-why are you being so hurtful, Lian? I thought you were a bro! T-T

Lian: And now she's not gonna stop for another 10 minutes or so. You're better off just coming back later.

~SnK~

Daitan Futekina – Fearless

Chapter 8

_Put on your war paint._

_You are a brick tied to me that's dragging me down._

_ Strike a match and I'll burn you to the ground._

_ We are the jack-o-lanterns in July,_

_ Setting fire to the sky._

_ Here it comes, this rising tide,_

_ So come on,_

_Put on your war paint._

"You're asking me for tips? Sorry bro, I'm just a natural at it. All I can tell you is that you've gotta feel it."

"I'd rather you tell me how you're able to stay sane after humiliating yourself like that."

"Come on, guys! I'm begging you here!" And he was. His eyes were pleading with them, despite the hatred he felt for the taller of the two. He would do anything except face Kukri again, having her bandage him up was bad enough, he didn't want to have to ask for help with this too.

"Hey, weren't you the one saying the weak should just leave?" This made Eren freeze on the spot, remembering when he had said exactly that. He felt Armin's worried gaze on him, but barely registered it, too engrossed in his musings.

Jean grinned at this, glad that the brunette was being put in his place. He had seen him before the bandages, drowsy and hurt, and felt a sense of satisfaction, but that washed away when the white-haired girl ran up, holding his head like the most precious thing in the world. It made his blood boil; since when had they been friends? Then, when the injured boy in question emerged from the room, bandages wrapped around the wound, Jean had known who treated him.

The girl herself had walked out moments earlier, after all, a large bucket in her hands.

Jean, being the gentleman he was, offered to take it off her hands, but she simply smiled at him and refused. He didn't even mind being rejected, the fact that she smiled at him was enough.

"Or wait, was it those who are un-talented? Which was it?" Connie asked, ripping Jean out of his musings. Jean wondered why they hadn't gone to Kukri herself, if they really were as good friends as it seemed, but eventually decided he was happy they hadn't; he didn't exactly want her to help them.

Nevertheless, the duo left after that last jab by Connie, put out but determined to find someone who would help them. "Eren, why don't we just ask Kukri? You saw how good she was at it, I'm sure she could help."

"No." Eren said sternly, and Armin frowned; it seemed as though it would be a while before anything went back to normal with those two. "Kukri is a last-resort, we can go to Reiner and Bertholdt first."

But that plan seemed to fall through too.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think there is a secret to hanging still." Reiner said with crossed arms. It seemed not even they were willing to help the duo. "I don't have any advice to give you."

"I see." Eren muttered, feeling once again put out by the lack of help his fellows were giving him.

"It looks like we'll have to go to Kukri then, huh?" Armin said, at which Eren cringed. If she was anything like she used to be, she would do more of making fun of him than actually helping.

The duo got up, ready to leave, when Bertholdt spoke, albeit hesitantly. "Both of you are from Shiganshina, right?" At Armin's confirmation, he continued. "You should know how dreadful the titans are." He said, with an almost sorrowful look in his eyes. "Why would you want to become soldiers?" He finished, looking at the two with contemplation.

Reiner was as monotonous as Mikasa and Kukri, and kept his arms folded all throughout his friend's question, but Armin could tell he was paying attention by the subtle way his eyes flicked between the two of them.

Armin swallowed, looking at the tall boy. "Unlike Eren, I haven't seen the terror of the titans with my own eyes." He said, remembering his friend's horror-struck face after they escaped from their home-town. "But after seeing the Monarchy's attempt to re-take the wall, I realized I had to do something." The blonde finished, looking solemn as he remembered seeing the refugees go on the Monarchy's wishes.

Throughout all this, Eren remained closed-off, not a hint of emotion on his face, but when Armin asked where their roommates were from, his eyes snapped to attention. After hearing Bertholdt tell the story of Reiner and his experience, however, his face grew shocked, and he realized he wasn't the only one to face the titan's wrath. The boys themselves stayed quiet throughout his re-telling, but eventually Reiner spoke up.

"My point is that you're different from them." He finished.

"Them?" Armin asked, though having a pretty fair idea of who he was talking about.

"The people here have no idea how terrible the titans are. Like your friend, the albino. She's been living in Wall Sina, she must have no idea."

"You're wrong." Eren's eyes met his blonde friend's, which were steely as they looked upon the two taller boys. "She's had to watch her friends bodies come back from missions cold and un-moving." He said, and Eren's eyes widened. What was he talking about?

Nevertheless, Armin continued. "She told me in one of her letters about a girl in the Scouting Legion, one of those she had met when she arrived. They had grown close, but one day they could only bring back her upper-half because the rest was eaten. I asked how she was, but she never responded, she didn't need to."

Bertholdt and Reiner seemed shaken by this, however, so he stopped, merely opting to avert his eyes from the shocked ones around him.

"You wouldn't think it by looking at her. She was so calm just a few hours ago." Reiner said wisely, remembering when she had approached them to ask for help with the injured boy.

Several seconds passed before he spoke again.

"I have a proposition for you guys."

~SnK~

Kukri lay on her belly, reading the response letter that Petra had sent her while she was training. She didn't expect a response from her that fast, so she wanted to write back as soon as possible, ruby eyes scanning the page quickly.

She chuckled quietly at Petra's words (as to not wake the girls); she expected that sort of response from her. All the letter really consisted of was questions, mainly about Eren, Armin and Mikasa, so she skipped most of them, opting instead to read the section on her hair. She saw that Mikasa had cut her own hair, and was worried about her own, so she decided Perta's opinion would be the deciding factor.

_Guess I'm not cutting my hair then._ She thought amusedly as her eyes scanned the words. _She likes my hair more than I thought_.

Her head snapped up at the trio of knocks that rapped on the wooden door, laying the papers down to swing to answer it. What she was met with definitely made her raise an eyebrow.

"Armin? Eren? What is it?"

She regretted asking.

She ended up out in the dark, with only Bertholdt's lamp for a light source, snuggling into her forest-green cloak. She loved having it, sure, but she still thought it would look better with its signature Wings of Freedom Badge.

When Eren and Armin turned up at her door, there were a million possibilities running through her head, ranging from complaints of a sore head to Armin trying valiantly to get them to become friends again. This, however, was not one of them, especially considering it was Reiner's idea. Armin had explained it all before they met up the tall duo.

_"Reiner said he would help us if you came along too." _

That alone befuddled her; why would Reiner care if she came along or not? The rational part of her brain told her that it was because she was one of the ones in class who had no trouble, but a stronger part of her knew something was up, mainly because he had yet to look her in the eye.

Nevertheless, here she was, walking with four boys in the middle of the night to help Eren with his problem.

_Why am I doing this again? _She thought, having to walk twice as fast to keep up with the tallest of the group. She cursed her little legs as she walked, wishing she had 3DMG to pull her along through the trees. She grumbled, this was probably what Levi had in mind when he made her run all those laps.

Along the way, she listened to Bertholdt and Reiner's conversation with her friends about why they were joining, though stayed silent. When Reiner looked at her, though, for the first time, she had to respond. "I joined to honour the friends I thought died." She said emotionlessly, and noticed Armin and Eren freeze, steps faltering. "Well? What are you standing around for?" She asked when she passed them, their eyes trailing desperately to meet hers. "Get a move on."

Meanwhile, Eren walked behind, eyes still wide at what Kukri had just said.

_She thought we... died?_

"You don't act like people from Wall Sina do, you know?" Bertholdt said to Kukri, who looked up at him with bland eyes. At the tilt of her head, he continued. "I've always thought of people from the inner walls being, well... not like you." He finished lamely, free hand coming up to scratch the back of his head nervously at the tiny girl's penetrating stare.

She blinked at this, not quite sure of what the taller boy meant. "Well, I did live in the outer wall for most of my life, so maybe that's it?" She responded, at which both Reiner and Bertholdt looked at her with mild shock.

"You did?" The taller of the two asked, and Kukri nodded in response. "Huh..."

Their conversation ended when they reached their destination, and as the moon shone through the clouds Kukri looked at who she would be teaching, wondering if he was going to be as difficult as she imagined.

_This is gonna be one long night..._

~SnK~

The next morning, Kukri stood in line with her comrade's, as she had done the previous day, only to look at Eren, who stood, strapped up and ready to go. He was feeling fairly confident after the help from the last night, re-running Kukri, Reiner and Bertholdt's words in his head.

_Concentrate on your hips, not your arms._

_Raise your upper body._

_Keep your feet about shoulders length apart; maybe even less if you're confident._

_And if all else fails, just swing back up again. Don't take no for an answer._

"Eren Jaeger, are you ready?" Shadis asked with his familiar dark expression. Eren nodded in response, eyes meeting Reiner and Bertholdt's, who also nodded at him, almost as though to re-assure the brunette of his abilities.

"Yessir." He replied strongly, cyan eyes steely and determined.

With a nod and a 'Begin' from Shadis, Thomas began to pull the lever, and Eren felt the familiar feeling of being raised. His feet were lifted from the ground, and for a few short moments, his body remained entirely still, much to the surprize of his classmates, who were expecting him to fall as he did the day before.

Unfortunately, his moment was short-lived, as within seconds, he saw his vision flip, and the feeling of being up-side down hit him one more. He didn't miss Shadis' unwavering stare, or Armin's concerned gaze. His eyes met Kukri, who was pointing at something and mouthing words. He couldn't make any sense of it, however, and turned his attention away.

"Wait! I can still..." He grunted, trying valiantly to get himself upright, but to no avail.

"Let him down." Shadis ordered, and after being lowered, Eren fell to his knees.

_No! I tried so hard! This isn't how it ends!_

"I can still..." Eren muttered, on the brink of tears. His eyes snapped to meet his instructor, however, when he spoke.

"Wagner, give Jaeger your belt." Thomas did as told, and within minutes Eren was back up, now in a completely different position. He was, much to everyone's surprize, staying upright for quite some time, rather than toppling when he had his own belt on.

_I... I'm doing it! I'm actually doing it!_

"The equipment was faulty." Shadis confirmed after seeing Eren have no problems with the exercise. "The metal fittings on your belt were rusty." This made Eren's eyes widen to look at Kukri, who had a slight smile on her face.

_Is that what she was trying to tell me?_ The brunette wondered, and after seeing her smile intensify, it was as good as confirmed.

He heard several astonished voices as he hung, ranging from; "So he worked with faulty equipment for a whole day?" to several "Wow's". He paid them no heed, though, instead opting to fix his instructor with a confused gaze. "So what's the decision?" He asked, almost dreading the answer.

"You're good to go." Shadis confirmed, and Eren felt several eyes on him, one pair being a crimson-red. He looked back at them with a fond gaze, to which her own orbs widened.

_Thanks, Kukri. Maybe you're not so bad._

~SnK~

A/N: And that, ladies and gents, is Chapter 8! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I myself think this isn't my best chapter, but it _is_ the one where Eren starts turning soft! It'll take a long time for them to be friends again, but we'll definitely see it happen, so don't you worry!


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